


Don't Believe All You Hear

by Ghostinthehouse



Series: Demon and Angel Professors [136]
Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Professors, Disabled Crowley (Good Omens), Gen, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Nonbinary Character, Panic Attacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:54:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27470803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ghostinthehouse/pseuds/Ghostinthehouse
Summary: "Hey, kid," an outside voice said, right by their ear. "You ok?"One Shot
Series: Demon and Angel Professors [136]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1412962
Comments: 42
Kudos: 745





	Don't Believe All You Hear

"Yeesh, I'm glad I'm not taking Botany."

"Me too. Who'd want to learn from someone as vicious and nasty as Dr Crowley?"

The voices moved out of hearing range, and Cass leaned their forehead against the library bookshelves and tried not to whimper. It was their first day of term, and they were studying Botany. Or had hoped to before they heard that piece of information about their potential professor. Now they could feel their brain trying to spiral down a very dark path, because what if... what if Dr Crowley misgendered them constantly? What if he verbally attacked them all the time? They couldn't take that. Not again. Not with the power difference between student and professor....

Cass bit down hard on their lip, using the pain as a distraction to try and pull themself out of that spiral, and stumbled out of the college library before they heard anything else they shouldn't. 

Outside, they leaned against the wall and took shaky breaths that sped up as their wretched brain decided now was the perfect time to throw a panic attack into the mix, complete with streaming tears, and the still, small, voice in the middle of the mental storm said, "Ah, crap, here we go again."

"Hey, kid," an outside voice said, right by their ear. "You ok?" Male, by the pitch.

Cass managed to nod. "Will be," they said, their own voice soundly eerily calm despite everything. "Panic attack."

"Ah. Might want to move, there's going to be quite the crush here in a few minutes."

"Oh." Cass swiped at the flowing tears but couldn't clear them fast enough to see properly, and the panic spiked again. They didn't know this place well enough to find their way around tear-blurred.

Feet shifted on the ground. "Look," the man said, "there's a bench out of the way, not far from here. Could guide you there, if that'll help."

Cass tried to breathe deeper, tried not to think themself foolish for taking help from a stranger, and nodded.

Long, slender fingers wrapped around their arm and led them down a ramp ("Slope down.") and along a short, level path. "Here," he said as tersely as his other warnings, putting their hand on the back of the bench.

Cass sank down onto it and buried their face in their hands. "Thanks."

"Ugh, don't thank me, no need." He slid onto the other end of the bench, but said nothing more, leaving them the quiet they needed to calm themselves.

"Do need," they retorted eventually. That brought a light, amused, snort, and they dried their face and looked up to see an older, lanky man with red hair, apparently (it was hard to tell with the sunglasses he wore) staring off into the distance.

"Ah," he said. "Better now?"

"Yeah." Wrung out, as always, but definitely better.

"First day overwhelm?"

Cass grimaced. They didn't really want to think about and risk going back down the same route. "Just - rumours," they muttered. "I- I was going to take Botany."

He shifted his weight, stretching out his leg with a grimace of his own. "Oh, I see, you heard about Dr Crowley." His mouth twisted, emphasising the harsh angularity of his face, and then hardened, as if coming to a decision. "Yes, there's rather a lot of rumours about me. Can't honestly say that they're all true. You like plants, then?"

"Yeah," Cass said, picking up on that last bit. "Always have." Plants, after all, didn't judge or pity you, or insist you were something you weren't. 

The man nodded. "Same." He sighed, and shoved himself to his feet. "You should try Botany, if that's what you love. I'd like to see you there. But if you're not up to it - no shame in choosing something else." He nodded, once, and sauntered off.

It was only then that Cass's mind caught up with their ears, and they realised. That was Dr Crowley.  _The_ Dr Crowley. Only...he was nice.


End file.
